Device for effecting automatic lubrication of internal-combustion engines



Aug. 3 1926. 1,595,041

E. L. WALSH DEVICE FOR EFFECTING AUTOMATIC LUBRICATION OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 2, 1926 Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

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EDWARD LOFTUS WALSH, OF BRUNSWICK, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO VISIBLE VACUUM OILER COMPANY PROPRIETARY LIMITED, O MELBOURNE,

t AUSTRALIA.

DEVICE FOR nrrnc'rme AUTOMATIQLUBRICATION or m'r'nnuan-coivrensrron V ENGINES;

Application filed April 2, 1926 Serial No. 99,321, and in Australia February 20, 1925.

This invention relates to the automatic lubrication of internal combustion engines and, more particularly to the lubrication of automobile engines of a certain type as hereinafter referred to. The invention is however applicable to the automatic lubrication of internal combustion 'enginesfin general. 1

According to present general practice internal combustion engines are lubricated usually by the force feed system in which pumps are utilized to force the lubricating oil to the various parts desired, or by the splash system wherein the movement of certain internal parts such for instance as the cranks Or connecting rod ends, causes J partment and then gravitates back along thethe oil in the crank case or sump to be splashed over the various internal parts of the engine.

Afc'ertain well known make of automo-c bile engine 1s, however, lubricated by a method according to which the engine flywheel'and associated electromagnets revolving within an oil sump or compartment at the rear part of the engine are caused to lift the oil therefrom and drop it into an internal funnel from which a delivery pipe carries the oil by gravity to the oppositeor front end of the engine where it is in-- troduced into the front crank case, combottom of the crank case to the sump or fivwheel compartment from which it was originally taken. The bottom of the crank case beneath each crank is provided with a depression or trough in which the oil collects and is splashed upwardly onto the bearings and other working parts by the cranksor connecting rod ends;

An objection to that method of lubrication is that the funnel and delivery pipe through which the oil is conveyed to the forward part of the engine are liable to blockage or obstruction by the entrance thereinto of foreign matter such as fibrous c material which is thrown ofi' by the fibrous brake band lining which is associated'with the transmission gearing adjacent the flywheel which revolves in the oil sumpjor compartment as before mentioned. This fibrous material and other foreign matter oil delivery 'pipeand funnel are concealed" within the engine, the blockage orobstruc tion cannotrbe detected until the bearings become overheated, thus frequently resultin in serious damage fbeforethe' defect can bere'mcdied; f v I The primary object of the present invention is to overcome; the above mentioned disadvantages-and to provide improved means for automatically lubricating internal c0m-' bustion engines iwhereby the various parts will'be positively and continuously oiled.

while the engineis runningand without the aid of oil pumps. I

' The improved means operate on-the principle that the suction of the engine is utilized to create a vacuum where-by the oil from a compartment such as the, crank case or sump is raisedto an elevationfromwhich it gravitates through a delivery pipe o rpipes to the desired part or parts of theengine, provision being made 'toobvi ate the breaking-down of the vacuum owing to the admission ot-the air -through said oil ode livery pipe. I V 3 In a preferredconstructionalj embodiment. Offthe invention the elevated chamber is formed by a casino adapted for mounting above the engine and having an observa-& tion windowfor the like whereby the lubri cant entering and -passing 'throughthe I chamber on-its way to the parts or elements of the engine to'be lubricated, is readily visible so that the; operator" or person in g control of the engine can ascertain nstantly l and without any trouble, how lubrication screws 9 whereby the'device may be mounted receptacle or compartment from which the Figure 3 is a fragmentary side viewof.

an automobile and showing an automatic lubricating device in accordance with the in -j vention operatively applied to the engine.

A device in accordance with the invention includes a' vacuum chamber 2 which may be formed by a casing 3 composed of transparent materialsuch as glass- In the preferredembodiment thecasing 3 is composed of metal and is providedat its open front with anobservation window 4 of glass or the like whereby the interior of the vacuum chamber 2 is visible from the front of the device.- The observation window: or glass front 4 may be removably retained in 'posi-.

tion by a cap 6 screwing onto the front por-. tion of the casing 3. If desired jointing rings or washers may be inserted between the windowA; and the casing or the cap to :ensure an air tight joint.

Thecasing 3, with its'transparent' front closure as aforesaid, 1s mounted in a su1t able elevated position relative to the crank case or compartment from whichthe oil is. to be drawn. For instance, theca-p 6 'or'the casing 3 may beprovided with an outstand ing flange 7 provided with holes 8 to pass on the dash or instrument board 11 0f an automobile (as in"Figure 3) where it is driver. I II a I .The'sa'iid vacuum chamber 2 is placed into" communication; with the lower partof'the' engine, crankcase 10, or with"-any' otherlubricating oil is to 'beidelivered to; the

I various working parts of the engine, by an oil supply pipe 12. The upper. end portion inected to' a nipple '13 outstanding from the of said oil supply pipe 'ispreferably con- 7 upper part of the casing 3, aroundan oil inlet openingl l, and a supply pipe eXtension lfimay' extend from saidnipple within the--vacuum *chamber 4 to a point near the observati'on'window 4 where the pipe extension' ma-y be bent downwardly. In applying 1 the device to an automobile of the Well .knownjmake; referred to, thelower end. of the'oil supply pipe 12 may be connected to requiring lubrica- I continuously' und er the observation of the] the lowermost of a pair of pet cocks 15.

which usually outstand from the lower part of the engine crank case 10 or, if desired, said lowermost pet cock may be removed and the oil supply pipe screwed into the existing hole formed in the crank case for said cock,

To establish a vacuum 1n the vacuum 'chamber the latter is connected by a suction pipe 17 with the intake manifold 20 or any other suitable part of the engine, whereby air may be exhausted from theivacuum chamber 2 to induce oil thereinto from the aforesaid supply pipe 12. This suction pipe may be connectedat one end to-a tubular nipple 18 which screws into an air exhaust opening 19 formed in the upper part of the casing 3'. The suction pipe maybe provided with a suitable regulating tap or valve if so desired.

oil outlet opening 21 is formed throughthe casing3 at or near'the bottomthereof, and suitable pipe fittings 22 are provided for connecting thereto an oil de" 7 .livery pipe or pipes 23 which may extend to any desired position to which it is re-. quired to deliver the oil. For instance a deliverypipe'may extend to the breather opening 24 where the lubricating oil is usually introduced into the engine crank case at the front part of the latter so that it may gravitate back along the bottom of the crank caseto'the oil sump or flywheel com partment aspreviouslymentioned If desired 'the'oil delivery pipe may have branches for conducting oil directly to bearings or to other elements requiring lubrication.

- In order to obviate breaking down ofthe- I vacuumin the vacuum chamber a' suitable device such for instance as a non-return valve 26 ls'adapted to control theentrance pipe 23 so that the establishment of'the vacuum i-i1 the fvac uum chamber normally.

tends to closesaid non retu rn valve which is opened, only by the weight ofoil above the non-return valve pressing against the latter. 1 r

This non-return valve may be-of the flap valve type and morintedwithir'ra valve, '7

chamber 27 formed by a pipefitting or confrom thevacuum chamber to the oil delivery nection 22 at, the'up per end portion' o f the i on delivery pipe; 23 where it connectstdthef bottom of the vacuum chamber; "The *ar-{f rangeinent is suchrthat' the non-return valve 26 normally closes andpreventsthe 'air being drawn 'thro'ugh the "oil delivery pipe or pipes intothevacuum chamber but, wheu a relatively. smallquantity of joil has ac-' cumulated within the vacuum' chamber, the said valve is opened by the :weightof the oil whichthus escapes from the vacuum; chamber to the delivery pipe 23 by which it f ing to'seal the entrance' tothe delivery'pipc' is conveyed to the desired position, the

body of oil above the non-return valve act-c ed at its upper end with a ball, cone or like valve element 33 arranged in alignment with a suitable valve seating as formed in the nipple 18 which connects the suction pipe 17 to the vacuum chamber. The rising and falling motion of the valve float 31 may be guided by means of an apertured extension 36 depending from the said nipple 18 so as to freely surround the valve stem 32 and valve 33, while a. guide pin or stem 37 depending from the bottom of the float 31 may be freely accommodated within a guide member 38 screwed into th bottom of the casing 3 diametrically opposite the nipple 18.

The outlet end portion of the aforesaid extension 16 of the oil supply pipe 12 may be bent so that the oil issuing therefrom falls between the observation window and the front face of the float 31 whereby the visibility of the oil flow will be accentuated.

In operation the engine suction creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber 2, thus inducing oil from the crank case, sump or other position through pipe 12 into the elevated vacuum chamber, from which latter the oil passes out by gravity through the delivery pipe or pipes 23 to the desired point or points from which the surplus oil may be returned by gravity to the sump or compartment from which it was originallydrawn. By the provision of a non return valve 26 as above mentioned, the induction of air through the oil del'very pipe 23 into the vacuum chamber, and consequent breaking down of the vacuum in the latter, is positively prevented while at the same time the oil is permitted to pass freely from the vacuum chamber. Furthermore, by pro viding for the visibility of the oil issuing from the oil supply pipe extension 16 into the vacuum chamber, the driver of a vehicle can see readily from the drivers seat how lubrication is proceeding. I

It will be understood that it is not essential that the suction pipe 17 and the oil supply and delivery pipes 12 2 should be connected to the engine at the precise positions before described or as il lustrated in Figure 3, and that the points of connection between the said pipes and the en ine may be selected. as will be most suitable to the particular engine to which the device is to be applied or to other circumstances.

The invention provides a highly effective, simple and inexpensive arrangement for the automatic lubrication of internal combus tion engines without the aid of oil pumps orother relatively expensive and unreliable automatic lubricating devices as at present employed. I

A device in accordance with the invention may also be advantageously employed on internal combustion engines equipped with forced feed,pump operated or other lubricating systems, for the purpose of affording vi -ble indication to the driver or person in control of the amount of oil in the lubricating system and to give visible warning before the amount of oil in the system diminishes to I a dangerous extent.

In such an application the vacuum chamber 2 may be mounted on an elevated instrument board or the like and operatively con nected to the engine so that oil israised by suction. from the lower part of the sump or crank case through the oil supply pipe 12 into the vacuum chamber 2 from which the oil may be delivered by the oil delivery pipe 23 back into the lower part of the sump or crank case. The amount of oil in the lubricating system may be readily ascertained by observing the flow of oil from the oil supply pipe 12, into the vacuum chamber 2 of the device, such fioW obviously lecrea-sing as the oil in the lubricating system diminishes. Furthermore, owing to the visibility of the oil flow through the vacuum chamber 2, the device may also serve to indicate the presence of any foreign matter in the oil.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Let- Patent is v 1.1%. device for effecting automatic lub'ication of internal combustion engines, comprising, in combinatioin'a casing providing an internal vacuum chamber, a transparent front for the casing; said casing having an oil outlet opening formed near its bottom, and air outlet and oil inlet openings formed above said oil outlet opening; outlet and inlet oil pipes connected to said openings, a float disposed within the easing, valve operable by said float to close and open said air outlet opening as the oil level within the casing rises and'falls, and an extension on said oil inlet pipe projecting inwardly into the vacuum chamber and having its outlet end portion so disposed that oil issuing therefrom falls between said transparent front or window and said float. A lubricating device for automobile nes, comprising a casing having an air st opening in its top, and a tubular ni ple fitted therein; an air exhaust pipe connected to said nipple; oil supply and de livery pipes connected to said easing; an apertured guide connected to the nipple and disposed Within the casing; a guide mounted in the bottom of the casing diametrically opposite the first guide; a, float ithin said casing havingoppositely-located upper and lower stems slidably engaged in said through the nipple during the movements of the float; v r In testimony whereof Ihereunto afiix my signature. r E. L. WALSH. 

